Too Much, Too Soon
by Liobhan
Summary: He was tall, more than myself by quite a few inches. He had a lovely face, with angled features and full lips. He had hair as black as night. He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. EdmundxOC ON PAUSE FOR NOW
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! This is my first story ever, so be nice with the reviews! I'm not going to say "review my story!", so only review if you so desire. If you don't like it, DON'T READ IT! It's that simple. I re-wrote this chapter almost completely and I plan to do so with the other chapters as well. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia (I wish) but the plot is all me. **

~)*(~

Darkness flooded my vision as I opened my eyes. All was silent, except for the gentle snores emanating from the room beside mine. Caspian really should get that looked at, I chuckled to myself. For those of you who don't know, Caspian, or _Prince _Caspian I should say, was my fiancé. I cringed internally at the word. The only problem was, as you could probably tell, was that I didn't want him as a fiancée. His uncle Lord Miraz wished us to be wed, as well as my father. Caspian may not see it, but his uncle was an evil twisted man, and I didn't trust him one bit. He was unnecessarily cruel, and I was totally against the way he chose to rule our country. He always had this sinister, calculating look when he would watch Caspian and I together. Since before I could remember, I had the feeling that he was plotting something terrible. _That_ was the reason I was leaving. Or, one of them anyways.

I loved Caspian, but I wasn't _in _love with him. Marriage, in my mind, would ruin everything we had. I had known him since I was a little girl. We would play together when my father was summoned to the castle for council meetings, and he would stick up for me when the other boys tried picking on me. He was a good six years older than I, but that never really mattered until I was about thirteen. I started noticing Caspian looking at me funny. I would ask him what he'd been staring at and then his face would go all red and he would mumble, "Nothing." Well, obviously it was something! My body was changing and I was growing into a young woman. I starting becoming really self-conscious, and with me still being the naïve child that I was, I thought he was noticing my awkwardness. As I grew older I discovered that he wasn't repulsed by me changing, but rather quite the opposite. I can't recall my first reaction to this epiphany, but I do remember dismissing it and continuing on being with him like nothing ever happened. Everything was going fine, until my sixteenth birthday.

In my country, a girl becomes "of age" when she turns sixteen. So I wasn't surprised when on my birthday, my father brought up marriage and me finding a suitable husband. I'd shuddered at the thought of being with an ugly fat old man for the rest my life and bearing his children. It was enough to make my stomach turn upside down.

I'd mentioned it to Caspian the next day when we went for our daily walk in the castle courtyard. "Could you imagine? Me being _married?"_ I giggled at the absurdity of it all. I remember him chuckling uneasily, then his face going serious.

"Come on Avaia, you should at least think about it. I mean, you are of age now…" I stopped walking and looked at him incredulously.

"You can't be serious," I groaned, "I don't want to get married! It would be absolutely horrid!"

"What if it was to someone who you loved?" he'd asked, his deep brown eyes searching mine. I felt a confused expression spread across my face. "Like who?" I exclaimed, exasperated. He opened his mouth to answer when a maid rushed over to us from the castle to tell us that our tea was ready. Thankfully he didn't continue that conversation.

However to my dismay, about a week later the topic resurfaced at my home. Then, my father delivered the most unpleasant news of all.

"Well, my daughter," Father had begun, "since you're of age, I think it is high time you got married. I will not allow you to disgrace this family by not doing what is expected of you." I felt my mouth drop open in dismay. "But father-!" he held up his hand to silence me.

"Now Avaia, I will not tolerate your disobedience! I love you, and as your father I want you to be safe and happy, and not live a life of shame and loneliness." I sighed miserably, knowing there'd be no arguing with him.

"As you wish, Father." I felt my happiness and freedom already draining itself out of me.

"That's my girl!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight as he pulled me into a tight embrace. I hugged him back half-heartedly.

"Come," he said stepping away from me, "I have already chosen a suitor for you, dearest. The best possible match I could find. I'm sure you'll approve of my choice!" He beamed.

I froze. _How could he have picked someone already? _ He grabbed my hand and I allowed myself to be led outside of the house. My legs moved mechanically as my head spun. _I'm not ready to be married! I don't know the first thing about being a wife or having children! _

We winded our way through some narrow streets and I found myself in the castle courtyard. There was no one around, which was odd, save for one figure standing off to the side. As we drew nearer I realized it was Caspian. _What in the-_

"Oh, Caspian!" I called to him, hearing my own despair in my voice, "My father's going to marry me off to some oaf! I'm so glad you're here! I want you to be with me when that prick finally gets here-."

"Avaia!" said father sharply. I looked at him, and was startled to see an extremely confused expression on his face. "What are you talking about girl! Are you daft? The man's right in front of you!"

I turned slowly towards Caspian, terrible realization dawning on me. _Caspian. My father wants to marry Caspian?_

Stunned, I could do nothing but stare at him in astonishment. Blushing, he grinned at me sheepishly. His face reminded me of a child that was caught trying to steal some last minute sweets. I forced myself to smile back, but I was sure it looked more like a grimace. Never had I imagined I would be marrying my best friend.

~)*(~

Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months, and still the pit of unease had not yet settled in my stomach. Caspian would dote on me and shower me with affection, and I felt obligated to return it. Even though I was acting like it was from my heart, it was more out of gratefulness. I would much rather be married to a man who I knew would treat me with love and respect, but there was still that one part of me that longed to be my old, carefree self. I detested the idea of being any man's property; unfortunately the society I lived in demanded it of me. Sometimes, I would squirm under the intense gaze of my fiancé, and when he asked me what was wrong I told him I was chilled, or whatever other excuse I could think of. I hated lying to him, but I knew deep down I didn't feel the same. Every time he would gaze down on me with those big brown loving eyes, I couldn't help the guilt that seemed to seep out of my every pore. He deserved someone who returned his adoration and savoured his every glance. That person was certainly not me.

So, that was pretty much the main reason that prompted me to escape. I couldn't handle the pressure, the awkwardness it sometimes produced. I was scared to become committed, to become a mother. I'd heard of so many women that'd died in childbirth, and it was definitely something I didn't want to risk. Not to mention Miraz terrified me; I knew with whatever he was scheming, it had to be terrible. Gathering up all my courage, I got out of bed one night and retrieved the extra food I'd stored under my bed from the past few days. It was wrapped in a white cloth so it was still fresh. I walked over to my trunk and pulled out my grey travelling gown, pulling it over my head. I was just about to leave, when a familiar object caught my attention. It was the beige horn on my shelf; the one mine and Caspian's professor had given to us when we were younger. The opening was that of a lion's head, its maw opened in a ferocious roar. Professor Cornelius had warned us, that whenever we were in danger we were to blow into it and help would come. Taking that to heart, I'd never let it out of my sight as a child. Now, I was sure it was just something that the professor had given me to make me feel safer after my mother was murdered. Dismissing the thought quickly, I'd decided against taking the horn, fearing it would be unnecessary to carry any extra weight. Pulling the hood of my cloak over my head, I swept out of my room for what I was sure to be the last time. As I crept down the hallway, I felt fear rise up in me. I would never see my father again. Never see the flowers in full bloom in the castle gardens. Never again watch the sunset with Caspian, feeling him hold me close and telling me everything was going to be okay… I shook my head sharply. I was going to do this, and nothing was stopping me.

I slinked through the halls like a wraith, making no sound save for my soft breathing. Peering around every corner to make sure no guards would be in my way, I ran hastily across the courtyard and into the stables. I closed the door behind me, exhaling deeply in relief. Enough moonlight was streaming through the windows so I could see vaguely where my mare's stall was. Upon seeing me, Damia whinnied softly. I smiled at the sound and ran to find her saddle. She was, as Miraz had told me before, the most beautiful mare his stable had ever seen. Both her sire and dam were one hundred percent Telmarine warhorses, which made her a most finely built animal. She was about 16 hands tall, with a sleek black coat and a long stringy mane and tail. My father had her bred for me when I was 9 years old, and I've never rode another horse since.

After saddling and bridling her, I shoved the sack of food into the saddle bag. I opened the stable door quietly and led her outside into the courtyard. The night was calm and cool with not a cloud in the sky. As if sensing my nervousness, Damia danced backwards on the tips of her hooves, arching her neck and snorting loudly. I cooed to her softly and she quieted. Mounting swiftly, I dug my heels into her sides and she leapt forward. I steered her toward the front gates and was extremely surprised to see there weren't any guards. Closing my eyes, I felt Damia's powerful strides as we raced across the earth. Her muscles bunched and released like a coil and spring, pushing us toward freedom. Finally, we sprinted through the gates and into the forest.

The wind whipped my hair back as I moved with Damia. I urged her faster still and I felt her strides quicken. Looking around us, I realised I'd never been this far into the forest. The trees blocked the light from the moon now; I could barely make out their dark shapes racing by us. Damia could see better than I, so I let her steer for a while. After a few more minutes I slowed her to an easy trot when I knew we were a good, safe distance from the castle.

Suddenly, the trees opened and revealed a perfect little meadow. Damia stepped into the moonlight and made her way over to the far end of the meadow, where a little creek trickled through a ditch. I stopped her and gently swung down from the saddle. Looking around, I noticed that the meadow wasn't very big and it was surrounded by enormous trees. I didn't even bother tying Damia up; I knew she wouldn't go far. I sat down on the grass and stared up at the cloudless night sky. The billions and billions of stars shone down on me, and I wondered what tomorrow would bring. I had no idea where I was, and I had no action plan. _I didn't even think about bringing a map, _I thought grimly, _well that wasn't too smart… _ Curling my cloak around me I lay down on the ground and waited for sleep to take me.

A few hours later, I awoke with a start. The dawn was approaching; I could see the faintest hint of pink and yellow on the horizon. I yawned, sat up slowly and stretched my arms up over my head. I looked over at Damia, who was watching me with intelligent eyes. When she saw nothing of particular interest, she went back to grazing. I continued to take in the beauty of the morning when I heard the unmistakable sounds of pounding hoof beats in the distance, closely followed by men shouting. I felt my face drain of colour as terror spread its way through my body. _They're coming for me. _

I jumped up from the ground and hopped onto Damia. She shot forward before I could even instruct her to do so. As we weaved through the trees, I could still make out the distant sound of men and horses. My fear edged the mare faster still; I only steered her as she needed no other encouragement. Deeper and deeper into the woods we flew, until I felt Damia's breathing become shallower. But, bless her, she still wouldn't slow. I pulled on the reins gently letting her know that it was alright, and she slackened her pace. After a few more minutes, I completely stopped her. We were both as still as death; listening for the sounds of our pursuers. The only noise I could detect was the faint whistling of wind through the trees. I let out a sigh of relief. Damia's ears flicked backwards toward me at the sudden noise. I patted her neck and crooned to her on what a good girl she was. She shook her mane and we continued onward. For the next couple hours, we rotated between walking and trotting, every so often pausing at a stream so we could both drink and I could eat some of the bread I had packed.

Sometime before dusk, it had begun to drizzle. As we continued on the rain started to fall more heavily. I decided it was late enough anyway so we made camp underneath a humongous oak tree. I nestled into a groove in the trunk and closed my eyes. I listened to the pitter-patter of the raindrops on the leaves all around me. Somewhere a few paces away, Damia shifted and snorted softly. The wind started blowing fiercely and directed some of the rain under my tree. I shuddered as some water fell on me from the oak's leaves. _This is going to be one long night, _I thought.

I woke up to the sensation of warmth on my back. The sun was streaming through opening in the forest canopy, and birds everywhere were singing merrily. I rolled over to get up when my body ran into something. I looked up to find Damia standing over me protectively, her head up and alert. I felt a surge of warmth rush through me. I stood up and patted her on the neck.

"Thank you," I whispered to her. She was silent; gazing into my eyes with her big brown ones.

The next few days continued like this. We would travel for most of the day, only stopping to eat, drink and relieve ourselves.

It was around noon on the third day. Damia continued at a steady walk as I was dozing off on her neck. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. I felt Damia freeze and I was jolted up higher on her neck. She snorted, her muscles trembling. I moved to sooth her; it was probably an animal or something that scared her. But she would have none of it. She started fidgeting and I couldn't get her to stand still. In her panic she reared, and I, caught unprepared, tumbled off her rump. I felt my head crash into something hard. Wincing from the pain, I opened my eyes in a daze. I saw the faint outline of Damia prancing and tossing her head nervously. My vision clouded. The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was seeing numerous shapes advancing towards me.

~)*(~

The first thing I felt when I came to was the agonizing throbbing of my head. I felt as though someone had broken my skull open with a rock. The swaying motion of the horse beneath me didn't help matters much. Then I became aware of low murmurs and whispers all around me_. _A pang of fear sliced its way down my spine. _They've found me. It's over. What will Miraz do to me? Will he hurt Caspian and my father because of my recklessness? I have to get away. _I fidgeted, and to my dismay, felt rope around my wrists and ankles. I groaned in pain and defeat. Silence.

"She's coming too," said a voice gruffly. More muttering. Groggily, I opened my eyes, and stifled a gasp. For in front of me, was a man's head, arms and torso. Was that even possible? I looked down and gasped aloud. The man's body was attached to a horse's_. A centaur. _Wait, where did that come from? Vague memories of my childhood, the professor teaching Caspian and I about the magical creatures that once inhabited our homeland… My head started spinning. _What kind of twisted dream is this? This isn't real! _I whipped my head around to find more strange creatures; tiny little men, no higher than my waist. _Dwarves? _ And men that had the bottom half of a goat. _Fauns! _ Fear trilled through me. This was no dream.

"Well, well, look who's awake," sneered one faun, "What's the matter Telmarine? Not cosy enough for ye?" They all broke out into loud guffaws. I felt my mouth drop open. They were talking_. Laughing. _

"W-w-what do you want from me?" I asked shakily.

"We want our land back!" snarled a dwarf, unsheathing his knife. My eyes widened in terror. "We want back everything that was stolen from us. This is our home!" He jabbed his knife at me, and was urged on by shouts and cheers from the others. "You wretched, filthy Telmarines! You should all be burned at the stake and have your insides ri-"

"That's enough, Boadin," rumbled the centaur that was carrying me. "She is just a girl. You cannot hold her accountable for the crimes of her people."

The creatures grumbled to themselves, but ultimately stopped talking. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears; I'd never been more afraid in all my life. What were they going to do to me? Where were we? Where were we going? I trembled atop the centaur, dreading the next few hours.

The creatures refused to acknowledge me after that, which was perfectly fine with me. We stopped at dusk to eat, or should I say, for _them _to eat. They didn't give me so much as a scrap. Only my centaur was kind enough to sneak some of his water to me.

We continued to travel throughout the night. I looked up into the night sky, and found myself wishing for Caspian. I sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to leave… Despite my terror, I somehow managed to fall into a restless sleep.

The next morning, we had crossed into unfamiliar lands. The spruce, maple and birch trees became pines and other evergreens. The path was starting to get wider, the sky opened up in front of us. I felt the ropes that bound my hands and legs starting to rub my skin raw. I moaned quietly.

"Shut up, you!" a dwarf growled as he made a move to strike me with the butt end of his sword. The centaur carrying me turned toward him and gave a warning grunt. The dwarf moved back reluctantly, watching me with a savage gleam in his eyes. I managed to stare back levelly, despite my trembling.

After a few more hours of travelling, I began to see a clearing in the distance. Then we came through the trees and a castle loomed over us. It was twice the size of the castle in Telmar! Its turrets stood tall and intimidating; a red flag with a golden lion embalmed on one side fluttered from the highest tower. Then slowly, I felt the smile of awe slide slowly off my face. I'd seen this flag before. In Professor Cornelius' books… A flashback of Caspian and I sitting in the professor's room, as he talked about Narnia and the Golden Age, the Kings and Queens of Old…. I felt my stomach heave. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, calming my stomach and my nerves. _This can't be happening, this isn't happening… _But it was. I was here, captured by, I gulped internally, _Narnians. _And if they're here…that can only mean one thing. That somehow, hundreds of years later, their kings and queens have returned. This was bad.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: ****Worked really really hard on this chapter, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Narnia hmmk? Clearly, or else I'd be there right now.**

As we approached the castle, the huge iron portcullis started to open. We proceeded inside, and I felt the feeling of dread intensify. One thing was for certain, I was absolutely terrified. I didn't know what would become of me.

I sat atop the centaur and gazed about me in wonderment. We continued traveling straight through the gatehouse, I'd presumed, and into a paved, stone courtyard. There was a fountain in the middle, with a rearing lion, and clean sparkling water cascading from its open mouth and parted fangs. A spectrum of tulips encircled the fountain. But it wasn't the beautiful décor that fascinated me, it was what _surrounded _it. Milling around the fountain, were creatures of all shapes and sizes. There were more centaurs, dwarves and fauns. Others, I wasn't so sure what they were. Some stood upright, like a man, but had the head and horns of a bull. Some of them had the body, tail, and back paws of a lion, but the talons, head, beak, and wings of an eagle. I presumed it was a griffon, judging by what the professor said they looked like. And then there were the animals, not just any animals, but they _talked. _Leopards, deer, goats, mice, dogs, wolves, horses, and so many more. And they were actually discussing amongst themselves, like my people would do at a tea party. I was captivated.

As soon as our group passed by the fountain, the mingling abruptly stopped. All eyes were now on us. I shifted on the centaurs back uncomfortably. _They _shouldn't be staring. After all, I'm not the one that's half man and half goat!

That's when the whispering started. All of the creatures were talking quietly to each other, as if out of fear or being overheard. I strained my ears to listen.

"So this is the girl Octayvia told us about," I picked up.

"She will pay for her people's crimes," another hissed menacingly. I shuddered.

"Damn her! After what the Telmarines did to my husband-," withdrawing from their conversations, I trembled violently. I didn't want to hear anymore.

We had crossed the courtyard and entered a rather long hallway. On either side, there were majestic paintings of old kings and queens. At the end of the hallway, was a huge golden door. About four times the size of the centaur! We stopped in front of it. The centaur grasped the door handle and pushed it open with a grunt. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw next.

I felt my mouth fall open soundlessly as we came into the throne room. The walls were decorated with red and gold, and the ceiling was a giant arch made out of glass. Huge golden columns stood up tall in a row along the walkway. I glanced around me in a daze. Never in my life would I have dreamed of a more magnificent place!

The next thing I noticed was all the Narnians. The hall was filled with them, the number outside looked like a small crowd compared to this huge mass. My eyes wandered over the throng of creatures, wonderingly and in awe. I was vaguely aware of us moving forwards. I gazed to the front of the room, and that's when I saw them.

They were sitting on golden thrones, one beside the other. I breathed in sharply, there were _four _of them. Two boys and two girls. I felt waves of panic rolling off me. I feared my suspicions were correct.

As we reached the end of the hall, our party stopped. The noise of the crowd dwindled. The centaur took me off of his back, and dropped me before the kings and queens. My legs stung, but I dared not make a sound. The dwarf walked quickly towards me, knife in hand. I stared at him with wide eyes. He roughly grabbed my wrists and ripped the bonds off. Relieved, I gasped and held my hands to my chest, massaging the raw skin. They stung, but I would survive. Slowly, I forced myself to look at the monarchy.

The first was undeniably good-looking. He looked the eldest, perhaps a couple years older than myself. He had silky blond hair, the colour of the purest honey, and eyes of the bluest ocean. His gaze was firm. Beside him, was a gorgeous woman, who had a full face and raven black hair. She was staring at me with a hard edge, as if I was some sort of disgusting insect. The next girl seemed younger, perhaps around my age. Her eyes looked rather bored, as she absent-mindedly twirled her finger around her auburn hair. Then my eyes shifted to the fourth; a boy. I felt my eyes widen. He swivelled his head toward me, and I felt my heart jerk in my chest. He was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

I'd never known that the word beautiful could even be used to describe a boy, but he was most definitely beautiful. I could see he was taller, more than myself by quite a few inches. He had a lovely face, with angled features and full lips. He had hair as black as night. And his eyes... I'd known no other that equalled them. The young king watched me reproachfully, curiosity evident in his gaze. I could already feel my ears beginning to burn as I jerked my eyes away from his.

The eldest king held up his hand. Within seconds, all was quiet.

"Why have you come here?" he asked me. Despite his clear and full voice, I still flinched backwards.

"We found her in our territory, your Majesty- alone," the centaur behind me said. That on its own was enough to send murmurs throughout the crowd.

The king raised an eyebrow, while holding my eyes on his own.

"I ran away," I said in a small voice, looking down. I was never known to be silent or quiet, but the royalty of Narnia had greatly humbled me.

"And why would you do that, Telmarine, when _clearly _your kingdom is absolutely perfect?" said a different voice. It was sweet, deeper than the first, but slightly more boyish. I looked up quickly. It was _he_ who had spoken. I turned my head to glare at the darker king; he stared at me, an arrogant smirk tugging up the corners of his mouth. _He's mocking me!_

"For your information, your _Highness_," I sneered the word, "I wasn't too pleased with my ruler." His eyes narrowed.

I tilted my head up. "I felt I didn't belong." There was silence.

"Very well," said the oldest queen after a while, "Oreius, take her to the dungeon."

I was suddenly so afraid that I couldn't find my voice. I looked back at the monarchy, and they were just staring blankly at me. All save for the youngest queen; she had a look of sympathy in her eyes. The centaur grabbed me and dragged me out of the hall, with the Narnians cursing and ridiculing me. I wanted to spear the lot of them.

He took me back down the long hallway, and into the courtyard. From there, we went into a different passageway. This corridor was thinner, and very dark, with only torches hanging on the walls. I also noticed a small decline in the altitude. He brought me into a room of cells. Choosing one randomly, he kicked it open with his front hoof, and threw me inside. I landed on my knees with a huff. The centaur closed the cell door and turned to leave. I couldn't help but whimper pitifully, feeling sorry for myself. He turned and looked at me with pity. He opened the door again, and somewhat gently, removed the ropes that bound my legs. He walked out of my cell and slammed the door behind him. I stared after his retreating figure. I listened as his hoof beats grew fainter and fainter until I could hear nothing. I was alone.

I sat on the cold ground, hugging my knees to my chest. This was all so unfair. I escape my home, only to be captured by Narnians, whom I thought didn't exist. Then treated like vermin by their rulers. Now I was here, trapped for who knows how long. Tears dripped silently down my face.

Then my thoughts wandered, and I found myself thinking about Caspian. I wondered if he missed me as much as I missed him. Maybe he was out there, looking for me…

Just then I heard footsteps approaching. My head snapped up, I heard talking.

"Are you sure you want to do this Lu?" said a deep boyish voice doubtfully. _Oh no. _I wish that voice didn't sound so familiar…

"Well, someone has to feed her," a girl replied. I just realized then how incredibly hungry I was.

Who should come around the corner, but the beautiful black-haired boy and the young queen. My heart skipped a beat. They both froze when they saw me, my gaze locked with the boys'. The girl was carrying what looked like a plate of food. She stepped closer slowly, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"Thought you might like some supper," the boy said carefully.

"You thought correctly," I retorted, too depressed to care if I was being rude to royalty. His eyes hardened.

"Lu," he said, "I'm going up now. Don't be long."

"Alright, Ed." And then he was gone.

The girl turned back to me, came right up to the cell door, and pushed the plate between the bars. I crawled over to it; it smelled delicious. I grabbed the first thing I could see, and shoved it in my mouth.

As I was eating, I noticed her watching me, an amused look on her face. She surprised me then by asking a question.

"So why _did _you leave, then?" Her voice wasn't harsh like her brother's was, merely curious. I stopped eating and looked at her suspiciously.

"Sorry," she said grinning slightly, "I'm Lucy."

I studied the queen, but she continued to smile. She seemed nice enough.

"Avaia," I said, "and it's an honor to meet you, your Majesty." I bowed my head. She gave a small chuckle.

"Oh you can drop the whole 'your Majesty' bit," she said, "It gets rather annoying. Just Lucy's fine."

"As you wish your-… Lucy," I said with a grin. I was beginning to like the young queen.

"You didn't tell me," she mused, "why exactly did you leave Telmar?" I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes please!" she exclaimed.

"Alright," I looked at her. "I was wed to Caspian the tenth, prince of the Telmarines, a few months ago. His uncle, Lord Miraz, is a very evil and cruel man. I didn't trust him." My expression, I imagined, probably looked somewhat bored, but Lucy looked eager.

"Plus, I really didn't want Caspian as a lover," I admitted sheepishly. "I loved him…but it wasn't enough." I looked down. "So I left."

"Hmm," was all she said. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she wasn't quite _here_. I waited, watching her. "But, why would you leave when you're married to a prince, soon to be king? I mean, you would be of royalty! You would have the highest reputation-,"

"Yes that's what I mean! I didn't want to marry him just for that! We were best friends before we got married."

"Well then that should give you all the more reason to want to be with him!"

"But I don't love him enough to want to be married to him!" I exclaimed, "I don't love him that way!"

"Oh," she said, taken aback at my outburst.

"My father and Lord Miraz had apparently been planning our union ever since I was born…" I said quietly.

She looked at me questioningly. "My father is in Lord Miraz's council. They are 'friends' so to speak," I explained. "So they wanted us to be wed."

"Ahh," she said, eyeing me carefully, "I see."

It was silent for a few minutes. Not an awkward silence, but a thoughtful brooding silence. I continued to eat, while her eyes were distant once again.

Finally, she stood up. "It's late," she said, "I should be going now."

"Okay," I was disappointed that she was leaving. "Will you come again tomorrow?" I asked hopefully.

She smiled widely. "Of course!"

I grinned back at her.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Avaia!" she called as she bounded down the corridor. "See you tomorrow!"

"Nice meeting you too," I said, more to myself than anyone.

I sat back down on the ground, and sighed deeply. I closed my eyes. _Maybe Narnia isn't so bad after all…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! It really makes me happy to see how much you guys enjoyed it :D I'll try extra hard to make sure this chapter is most satisfactory! Hope you like it! **

**To crazyelf22: Thanks so so much for the praise and constructive criticism XD but not to be a pain, I just thought you should know that I was talking about the fauns, not the centaurs XD lol I know where you're coming from though, I should've been more descriptive. Enough of my rambling, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that says 'C.S. Lewis' on it, blah blah blah…**

I didn't get much sleep that night at all. Groggily, I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. For a moment I panicked. _Where am I?_ I looked around me wildly. Then, all of yesterday's events flooded into my head, and I relaxed. With newfound despair, I rested my chin on my knees. Sunlight was peeking through a crack in the ceiling. That made me remember when Caspian and I used to watch the sun rise together… Oh, _Caspian. _I found myself longing for him tremendously. I wondered if he pined for me as much as I missed him.

I was still brooding, when I heard fast paced footsteps approaching. I glanced quickly upward, to see a panting Lucy.

"Lucy!" I cried jumping up, "You came!"

"Of course," she said smiling, "And I brought you some breakfast."

She handed me a piece of toast. I ate it gratefully.

"Thanks."

"Not at all."

It was quiet for a bit.

"You know," I began, "I still cannot get over the fact that you all are real!"

"I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"I mean, I'm glad you all do, it's just that my father told me you were all just myths."

"Did he, now?" she asked, sounding rather upset.

"Yes," I said confused.

She closed her eyes, and sighed deeply.

"The Telmarines, your people, came from across the ocean. They found their way into Narnia, and tried to kill off all of its inhabitants. I won't deny that the Narnians were acting rather violently, but wouldn't you do the same if someone intruded in on your homeland?"

She was definitely cross now.

"So, the Narnians were angry that the Telmarines had overrun Narnia, so they retaliated. Naturally, the Telmarines were furious, and tried to destroy the Narnians completely in their rage. For a while, they thought they had succeeded, and built their castle in Telmar. We came back shortly after that, and witnessed what they had done to our country."

She gave me a dark look. I stared at her.

"You mean to say, that all my father told me was a _lie?_"

"Yes," she said sadly.

I was horror struck. "He made it sound like _you _were the bad ones, when it was really us all along."

"It's alright," said Lucy gently, "At least you know the truth now." I nodded my head.

After breathing deeply, I asked, "So how many are you?"

"Four," she answered, "including me. There's my older sister Susan who is 19, and my two older brothers, Peter and Edmund. Peter is 22, and Edmund is 18. I'm 16," she said rather proudly.

I pondered on that bit of information. "Which was the one that was with you yesterday?" I tried not to sound too desperate, but I was dying to know his name.

She looked confused, then realization dawned on her face. "Oh, that was Edmund."

_Edmund… and he's only two years older…_I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Lucy smiled slightly, "What?"

_Gosh, she saw that! I have to be more careful…_

" 'What', what?" I asked trying to play dumb, but to no avail.

Her smile became more profound. "You're blushing!"

I felt the warmth of my face intensify. "What? No I'm not!" I exclaimed, but it was no use.

She laughed, "Yes you _are_! Right when I said…" she paused, "…Edmund."

I now felt the heat spread across my neck and collarbone. She looked at me questioningly, one eyebrow raised.

I sighed, defeated. "Well, I was just thinking that your brother was, er, rather, um nice-looking." I had said the last few words so quietly she had to strain her ears to hear them.

She looked at me, dumbstruck. Then her face broke out into a wide grin, and started laughing uproariously. I felt that surely my cheeks were on fire. Lucy's whole body was shaking. After her fit, she was breathing hard as if she had just run a marathon. "Too funny," she murmured as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"What's so funny about me finding your brother attrac-" I didn't finish. Lucy's roaring laughter filled the dungeon.

I waited patiently for her to finish. When her giddiness subsided, she looked at me seriously.

"Edmund?" she asked incredulously.

"I… I said I find him attractive," I ignored Lucy's snort at this, "That doesn't mean I _fancy _him," I said defensively.

"Sure you don't," she said smirking, "You just wait. Soon, you'll be drooling all over him and kissing the ground where he walks!"

"I most certainly will not!"

"Oh yes you will!" she exclaimed, "Look at yourself! You turn tomato red every time I just say his name!"

"Oh shut up," I said sourly.

"Don't worry, I'm only teasing you," she said, still smiling.

"Just promise you won't tell him, okay?"

"I dunno… He might want to know if a girl fancies him. It'll give his self-esteem a boost." She grinned mischievously.

"I don't fancy him!" I almost yelled.

She opened her mouth to argue further, when a voice called out, "Lu! Lu? Come along, tea time!"

Lucy turned to me apologetically. "Sorry," she murmured, then ran down the corridor calling, "Coming Susan!"

Sighing, I sat back down on the ground. I ran through our conversation in my head. I couldn't _fancy _him…. _Could I?_

Lucy and I's ritual continued weeks after that. She would come and visit me every day and bring me food. This wasn't your normal revolting prisoner's food; it was delicious, fit for royalty. While I ate, she told me about Narnia, and the various adventures she and her siblings had. She had fully informed me on how she had first come to Narnia from a place called "Earth," and how they'd defeated the White Witch with the help of Aslan, the Great Lion. I was shocked when Lucy said that Edmund had been captured by the White Witch, and tortured.

"He hasn't been quite the same since," she'd told me.

Poor Edmund, I thought at the time. It's been nearly three weeks since I've seen him, and I almost forget what he looks like, except that he had black hair, and soft brown eyes.

I had been waiting for Lucy for a while, she usually came around noon. I could tell it was past that, because the sunlight coming through the crack in the ceiling was past the marking I had made on the floor for noon. Yes, I know. I was so bored, I decided to make my own sundial.

Anyway, I was sitting on the ground, tracing the stone slabs in the wall. I heard footsteps, I had been used to listening for Lucy all the time I could hear her walking from farther away. I stood up, the footsteps grew louder. Finally I saw a figure outlined in the shadows. It didn't look like Lucy… I was confused. Then it stepped into the glow of the torch. I froze, my heart jerked in my chest.

It wasn't Lucy, it was _Edmund._

I stared at him, not willing to believe what my eyes were showing me. Such a gorgeous person _couldn't exist._ I blinked, but he was still there.

He tilted his head to the side a little, watching me.

My chest was beginning to tighten, I couldn't speak. I had just then realized that I had been holding my breath. I exhaled slowly.

I mentally slapped myself. _He must think you're a fool now, gawking at him like that, mouth agape…_

He stepped closer to the cell. I was frozen on the spot, eyes locked on his. I couldn't look away. He pushed a plate of food between the bars and stepped back. I reluctantly broke eye contact and bent down to eat.

After a while, I'd noticed he was still there. Just standing there, gazing at me curiously. Finally, I decided to say something to him. I cleared my throat quietly.

"Where is Lucy?" I asked tentatively.

He hesitated before answering slowly, "She is in bed, sick."

"Oh," was all I managed to say. "Tell her I hope she is well, your Majesty."

He gave me a small smile. My heart went wild.

"I will," he said, before turning gracefully and walking back down the corridor.

I found my eyes lingering longer than they should have on his retreating figure. His broad shoulders, his tall frame…

I tore my eyes away from him grudgingly, and attempted to calm my still recklessly beating heart.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**** Hey everyone!! I'm very very sorry for the delay. I'm having a hard time filling in the spaces between the exciting bits :P**

**Disclaimer:**** Ich besitze Narnia nicht. (I don't own Narnia in German :) **

**

I found myself sitting in a small room, with a large table in the center and chairs all around it. The walls were covered with pictures of men on horses, and of ships with full crews of men. At the back of the room was a rather large window showing the view of a beautiful lush green forest.

Where am I? _I thought._

_Vague memories began to fill my mind, memories I hadn't seen in a while. I was sitting on the ground, with a small __**doll **__in my hand. Where did this come from?? My mind was reeling in confusion. Suddenly, the door to my right opened. I jumped in shock. Entering the room, came a strawberry- blond woman, about 5"7. Her presence seemed very familiar to me… Abruptly, her eyes fell upon me, and her face broke out into a wide smile. _

"_Avie!" she exclaimed. I froze. No one had __**ever **__called me 'Avie', except…_

"_Mother!" I cried out, leaping into her outstretched arms. She laughed lightly and wrapped her arms around mer. I felt tears of joy leak onto the back of her deep green dress. She gently caressed my head. _

"_Shh shh, my little one, it's all right."_

_I pulled myself back to look at her face; the face I remembered so well. Her emerald green eyes pierced mine, and her tiny but full mouth was pursed with concern. Her light-coloured hair fell over her shoulders, and I could smell the delicious scent wafting from her hair- the scent of my mother. I hugged her tightly again._

_After a few moments, she let go of me and stood up. "C'mon Avie," she said, "Let's go for a walk."_

_No! I remembered this day! I remembered clearly, knowing what was soon to occur… I couldn't let this happen!! _

_She began walking out the door. An extreme, unsettling panic swept over me._

"_Momma, no, wait!" My voice was high, that of a child. It went unheard, as she continued to walk into the large forest surrounding our house. _

_Frustrated, and scared out of my wits, I ran after her, calling to her, wailing for her to return to the house. But no matter how loudly I pleaded, she didn't give any response. She just kept on walking. _

_I tried to catch up to her, although I ran my fastest she didn't seem to get any closer. I ran till I was blue in the face, and frustrated angry tears were running down my cheeks; that's when it happened. _

_A group of Telmarine soldiers came into view on the path. I halted in fear. No, no, no, no… _

"_Hey, you!" one shouted to my mother. She stopped dead in her tracks, and spun around to face them. I could see the whites of her eyes. _

"_Stop!" another called. Her legs were trembling with terror, and she began to back away. They advanced quickly. _

"_You are under arrest for marrying a Telmarine, you filthy Archenlander!"_

_My mothers face was defiant, despite her shaking. _

"_No!" she yelled. She turned to me, screaming, "Avie, get out of here!"_

"_No!" I cried, "I'm not leaving you!"_

"_Don't wait for me!" her eyes were half crazed with horror and worry, _

"_Go, now! While you still have the chance!"_

_I looked at her, soldiers getting closer and closer. Blinking tears out of my eyes, I watched her pleading face as she begged me to escape. Mind made up, I turned on my heels, and ran as fast as I could in the opposite direction. My body froze as I heard the unmistakable sound of a bow being strung. I whirled around to see a soldier, arrow at the ready, aiming for my mother as she sprinted toward me._

"_Mother!" I shrieked. She kept running, but all in vain. The soldier let the arrow fly, and it pierced her back, the tip coming out of her stomach. She gasped in surprise and pain, then stopped. Breathing heavily, her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she toppled to the ground… _

Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling scream echoing all around me. It was a shriek that could have awakened the dead. I jumped up in surprise, my breathing ragged. I realized with the jerk, that itwas coming from me. I looked around me madly, and somewhat relaxed. I was in my cell, and it was dark. Moonlight seeped through the crack in the ceiling. The only sound I heard was my heart pounding in my ears. I attempted to calm my breathing, but to no avail. I felt my cheeks; they were damp. A new wave of tears came. Mother, mother, mother…

**

How I missed her so. She was a peasant from Archenland, and met my father when he traveled there to hold council with Miraz. It was love at first sight. They had to have each other. So he took her back to Telmar, where they had lived together for 10 years. I was conceived within the year they were married. It was the rules of my people that you had to marry a person who had the same status as you. But my parents didn't care, they were too in love. They made up the lie that she was a princess from a country way south from here. It was that fateful day; I was about 6 years old, when the authorities found out. She was murdered mercilessly.

My father was enraged of course, and was disbanded from the council. Miraz took pity on him (Miraz was rather fond of my father) and let him back in, but his privileges were severely reduced. He took my father and I in with him to live in his castle. My father always thought he owed something to Miraz for his 'kindness', that's when I met Caspian. Sure he was handsome, and very polite, but he didn't seem my type. My dad told me he fancied me very much and would like us to be wed. Seeing as I didn't have a choice, I had agreed. We had been engaged for just 3 months when I had escaped.

I had made a deal with Caspian, that we would wait to make the "commitment" after we got married, which suited me just fine. I wasn't ready to love him, and fact was I didn't _want _to, not to a man I barely had feelings for. He told me he would very much like to, but he said he would wait on my expense.

**

Fighting back tears, the loss of my mother hit me like a thousand galloping horses. I just couldn't get over her death, I missed her so much. I sat on the ground, hugging my knees and sobbing to myself.

Suddenly, a light appeared at the end of the corridor. Very faintly, but it began to grow brighter. I then heard voices.

"She's down here, right?"

"Yes, yes. Bloody hell, what's she up to?"

"Is she alright? What happened?"

Abruptly, many people and creatures filed into the dungeon. Among them, was a centaur, Queen Susan, King Peter and, bless him, Edmund. Despite my depression, my heart gave a little leap.

"What happened? Are you alright?" King Peter asked me, his loud clear voice filled with authority.

All eyes were on me. I cleared my cleared nervously.

"I had a nightmare," I said quietly, my voice shook. They gazed at me with understanding.

"Oh," said Peter, deep in thought, "We thought something had happened to you."

"No, it, just …, brought back memories," I said sadly.

"Ok then, we'll just be going now," said Susan. She eyed me with sympathy, with a hint of annoyance. I felt angry. How could she possibly see what I've been through? My gaze fell over to the High King. He inclined his head slightly in my direction, I responded in turn. Then, a shadow came forward behind the king, and seized my attention. My breath caught. _Edmund. _

We just stared at each other, no emotions registered on our faces. I couldn't seem to look away. My eyes flew over his perfect face greedily, his full lips, black hair, and beautiful brown eyes… His presence alone was enough to drown out all of my fears.

"Well, goodnight to you then," Peter said, rather awkwardly.

"Goodnight, your Highness." I'm not even sure anyone heard my pitifully small voice.

With my head hung down a bit, I listened as the sound of footsteps became fainter and fainter. I sighed heavily.

"Are you sure you're all right?" a voice asked softly.

I jumped. I'd thought everyone had gone! My head jerked upward instinctively, to see King Edmund standing quietly at the doorway. It took me a couple seconds to compose myself.

"Um… yes, thank you," I said rather flustered.

"You seemed rather distressed," he pressed, "I'd never heard someone scream like that before. It sounded like you were being tortured." In a way I was…

"I said I'm fine," I said, rather sharply, "Your Majesty," I added hastily after seeing the bewildered look on his face.

"Ok, then," he said rather slowly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, your Majesty."

He began walking out of the dungeon, then stopped suddenly and turned around to face me.

"Oh and by the way. Try to avoid screaming bloody murder again. Some of us need our beauty sleep." He smirked; it made him look all the more handsome.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest. "Uh… uh… ok," I said breathlessly, thrilled that he was being humorous with me. He smiled, and walked out of the tunnel.

I just stood there, trying to register what just happened. Then, with a huge stupid grin plastered on my face, I lay back down on the ground, and waited for sleep to take me.

**Author's Note:**** Hahaha :) thnx everyone for your continued support. Sorry again if it wasn't very good. I'll try to update soon!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: ****Hey y'all. Hope you like this chapter, its getting more exciting now : ) I am so so SO sorry for the delayed update.. I've been very busy the last couple months. I feel so bad for making you, my lovely readers, wait too long. :( Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. :) P.S- for those of you who don't know, Avaia's name is pronounced Aa-vae-a (vae as in vacant)**

**Disclaimer:**** I'm not that creative people, so there's no way in heck I could've invented Narnia. **

**

The next morning, I awoke with a start. I felt nauseous, and my eyes could barely open. I didn't want to wake up just yet, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. As the night's events tumbled into my head, the loss of my mother hit me anew once again. I stifled a sob and yawned loudly.

"Finally, your awake."

My head snapped around, and there, gorgeous as ever, was Edmund. He was holding a tray of tea and toast. I stared dumbstruck at him, dazed. I started to panic. _I must look horrible! What is he doing here? Did he remember last night? _

"Uhh, yeah," I said stupidly. _Smooth!_

"Sorry," I continued, "I should've woken up, your Majesty. That was quite rude of me."

He smiled, and it made him look all the more adorable. "No, no. The fault is mine, my lady."

My heart went wild. _He called me 'his lady'! Oh, shut up. It was a polite thing to say; he probably says it to everyone. Still… _

"I should've waited longer, I suspected you would still be very tired after last night's events," he continued. I looked down, ashamed. Although I don't know _why _I was embarrassed, it's not like I choose what I dream of.

After an awkward silence, I said, "Well, I _am _extremely tired, but sleeping on a stone floor isn't exactly my idea of a good night's rest." Shocked, I bit my tongue. _Why did I just say that?? _

I peeked at him; he was still smiling. Good, I hadn't offended him. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Anyways, it's around noon. I thought I would bring you some breakfast." He pushed the plate through the cell door. I reached for it, and started shamelessly stuffing my face. I was famished.

"With all due respect your Majesty, where is Lucy?" His face fell a bit.

"She is still ill. But she's on the road to recovery." Yes! I couldn't wait to see her.

I bowed my head. "Thank you, your Majesty." He nodded in return.

"So, I'll leave you to yourself then." With that, he turned and walked back down the corridor.

It took everything in me not to call him back, but that of course would be ridiculous.

**

It went like this for the next few days. King Edmund would come down into the dungeon to give me my breakfast or lunch, and he would make small talk. His smile had never failed to make my heart go wild. It was wonderful, but at the same time, strange. I'd never felt this strongly about a boy before. But in my heart, I sadly realized that a Narnian king would want nothing to do with me: a filthy Telmarine. The thought depressed me.

That was what kept me serene and content for the most part in the dungeon; the fact that I got to see him everyday. When I awoke every morning, darkness crept into my soul, and I felt the walls were closing in around me, suffocating me. Then he would walk in, his presence alone lifted the pressure, and I felt so much lighter. He would smile his smile, and my heart would go into a frenzy, immediately forgetting about my previous worries. They all seemed to melt away when he was around. It was a puzzling, yet wonderful feeling.

But one morning, everything would change. I was up early today, waiting, and waiting, and waiting for him. Hearing familiar footsteps, I impatiently got up to greet him. I was both surprised, delighted, and a tad disappointed that the one who had come to feed me was not Edmund, but Lucy.

"Lucy!" I gasped. "You're better!"

She smiled brightly. "Yes, I am feeling quite normal again."

"That's good."

"So," she began, smiling devilishly, "How was your last few days with my brother?" She waggled her eyebrows.

I suppressed a giggle and felt my cheeks grow warm. "Very… stimulating." We started laughing.

"Avaia…"

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking, that maybe we could try something different today."

That caught me off guard. "Lu, I think that you're forgetting that I'm locked in a cage."

She grinned slyly, and pulled a set of keys out of her corset. Multiple thoughts coursed through my head. _Thank Aslan, freedom! Oh no, what if her brother and sister find us… I'll be in even more trouble! But I'm so tired of this cell…_

I gulped. "Um, Lu? What if we get caught? I mean, I'm your prisoner. I'm supposed to be locked up. I don't want to get in any more trouble…"

"You won't! Trust me, we'll just be out in the fresh air, and then I'll bring you back in. It can't go wrong!"

I really wanted to though, the dank cell was starting to pull me into a depression. I hadn't felt the sun on my bare skin for weeks!

"I don't know…"

"Please??" she begged, eyes wide.

I gave a resigned sigh, "Alright Lu. But if we get caught…"

I didn't finish. She squealed in delight and hurriedly unlocked the cell door. Throwing it open, she grabbed my hand and towed me towards the exit. I felt excited, for reasons beyond my understanding.

As we emerged, the sun's rays penetrated my eyes, blinding me. The warmth felt so good on my skin, I realized I had missed it terribly. I looked at Lucy, happiness and bewilderment taking over. Whooping loudly, I broke into a run with Lucy at my heels, laughing loudly. We chased each other round the courtyard, then she suddenly bolted for the forest. Excitement filling me, I leaped after her. Weaving through the tall trees and shrubs, I could just make out her slim figure in the distance.

Suddenly, my foot caught on a tree root and I tripped, letting out a small yelp as I fell. I hit the ground hard, my abdomen taking most of the blow. I was momentarily stunned, and decided to just lie there. The sounds of the forest filled me, birds chirping, the wind whispering through the trees. It was so peaceful.

Getting myself back on my feet, I heard a twig snap. My head instinctively jerked towards the noise, muscles tense. I smiled, knowing it was probably Lucy trying to scare me. I jumped in the other direction not willing to let her catch me. Just then, I saw a form of a person farther ahead. As I got closer I realized it _was _Lucy. I stopped beside her and she turned to me, worry evident in her gaze.

"Where were you? I thought I'd lost you," she scolded.

"Wait a minute," I panted, confused, "How did you get over here so fast?"

"What do you mean? I was always here."

"If you were always here, then who…" All of a sudden, I felt something huge slam headlong into me, tackling me to the ground. Lucy screamed. I grappled for a minute with the thing on top of me, its weight holding me to the forest floor. Then, I got a glimpse of its face. _His _face. My mouth opened in shock, limbs going limp. Edmund was on top of me, face only inches from mine, eyes blazing furiously. I trembled beneath him.

"How did you get out?" he snarled.

"I-,"

"Did you honestly think you could escape?" His eyes bore into me, and I was fascinated at his fury. I couldn't look away. I was like a moth attracted to a flame. I felt his hot breath on my face, his scent overwhelming me, making me dizzy.

"After you steal my sister's trust, and mine as well! I actually thought you were a nice girl…"

"EDMUND!" Lucy shrieked.

His head jerked up, and his eyes widened as he saw his sister.

"Lu! She's trying to get away-,"

"No she isn't you twit! We were playing tag until you jumped on her!" Her face was red, angry.

He looked down on me, shocked. I was too busy trying to wrap my head around the fact he was _on top _of me to be angry. I just stared stupidly at him.

His face then turned a deep crimson as he slowly got off me.

"My apologies," he said nervously, "It was stupid for me to assume..."

"Yeah it was," said Lucy in a clipped tone, which made him blush furiously.

"Well," he stuttered, trying unsuccessfully to withdraw the attention from himself, "Why is she out here anyways? She's our prisoner, is she not?" I cringed at the word.

"No," she said slowly, and I glanced at her surprised. "She's not our prisoner. I trust her Ed." I gazed at her, touched, chest swelling with gratitude.

"I don't _want _to escape," I said softly, and they both turned to look at me. Lucy with kindness and sympathy; Edmund with distrust and wariness. I hated how the way he was staring at me made me feel.

"I don't want to go home. It doesn't _feel_ like home anymore…." I looked up pleadingly, begging them to understand. "I'd rather stay and be your prisoner than go back." At this point, I'd take anything over going back…

"Oh Avaia!" Lucy cried, jumping on me and catching me in a tight bear hug. I hugged her back, shocked. "You aren't our prisoner, well, not anymore anyway." She giggled. "I _knew _that if I took you out today you wouldn't try to hurt me or anything. I trust you." She looked at me meaningfully.

My heart swelled with emotion. She _trusted_ me. She _wanted_ me to stay.

"As I got to know you over the past few weeks, I knew you weren't that kind of person."

"Thank-you," I choked gratefully. She only smiled, and took my hand.

"Well, now that you're staying with us I guess we're going to have to find you a room… that dungeon just won't do anymore." I squealed in delight, no longer able to control my giddiness. She caught the drift of my mood, and soon we were giggling like a couple of schoolgirls.

"Don't forget Lu, we still have to ask Susan and Pete." I jumped; I'd forgotten he was there. Something about his tone disturbed me. It was reproachful, reluctant. Almost as if he didn't want me to stay. Of course he doesn't, I told myself harshly, who are you to think that he does. His sudden mood swing had completely bewildered me. Just yesterday he was nice and caring, and now he was sarcastic, rude and snarky. Just like when I first met him. This thought brought my happy frame of mind down significantly. Then, Lucy's voice interrupted my inner babbling.

"Oh they will," she told her brother sweetly. "Oreius already likes her." He grunted something I couldn't hear.

"Don't pay attention to him," Lucy tutted, "He just can't see the positive things in life." More muttering.

I sighed inwardly. This was going to be interesting…

Lucy and I talked about how my room was going to be decorated all the way back to the castle, with the dark king, watchfully, in our wake.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: ****Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed!! I'm so incredibly pleased that you guys are enjoying it so far. I'm trying really hard to write as much as I can, but I can get very busy with homework, sports and such. Try and bear with me!! XD **

**Disclaimer:**** …. I don't really have anything witty to say right now….so Narnia isn't mine :P **

******

Peter's P.O.V

I sighed deeply as Susan set the plate of teacups down beside me. We sat in the courtyard quietly eating biscuits and scones, each occupied by our own thoughts. I hadn't seen Lucy or Edmund all morning, and they weren't really ones to miss their afternoon tea.

"Something troubling you Pete?" Susan asked as if reading my mind.

"Its… nothing, Su." She raised an eyebrow.

I sighed again. "Lu and Ed haven't been around all morning, and didn't see Lucy after she went to give Avaia breakfast…," I felt my face pale. "You don't think she…,"

"No, of course not," Susan interrupted sharply, "That girl is behind bars, Peter. She can't have done anything."

"Yes, I suppose you're right." She huffed and took a sip of her tea. Suddenly, I heard a loud guffaw, followed by some giggles. My head whipped around, and sure enough, there were Lucy and Avaia exiting the forest, arm in arm, laughing with a very unhappy Edmund in tow.

I stood up, perplexed. _Why was Avaia out here?? Why wasn't she in her cell?? _Susan followed suit, a bewildered expression on her face. She looked at me, confusion and fear dominating her features.

"It's alright," talking more to myself than her, "I'm sure Lu has a reasonable explanation for this."

"Oh she'd better." They approached the courtyard, and as soon as they caught sight of us their laughter stopped abruptly. Avaia paled, skin whiter than a bone. Edmund's expression was dark, and he studied Avaia with an intensity I'd seen only once before. I shuddered; such memories were better locked away.

"Hi Pete," Lucy said nervously. "Susan."

"Lu," I responded nodding my head curtly, my eyes on Avaia the entire time. She shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet my gaze.

"Your Majesties," she said, bowing low. Well, I thought smugly, at least she still knows who her superiors are.

I gave Lucy a hard look, and just as I opened my mouth to scold her, she stopped me.

"I can explain!" she blurted.

"I sure hope so Lu." I retorted sternly.

She took a deep breath. "Well, over the last few weeks, Ed and I got to know her really well," Edmund snorted. Avaia whipped her head around and stared at him as if he'd hit her, but he didn't take notice. Odd…

"Okay, scratch that. _I _have gotten to know Avaia well over the last few weeks, and I decided that she should come outside for a while to get some fresh air." She looked up at me, pleading with her eyes to understand.

"Lu," I sighed, exhausted, "She's a prisoner. And not just any prisoner, a _Telmarine _prisoner." I turned to glare at the girl, who cringed under my gaze. "We can't trust her."

"Yes you can," Avaia said tentively. I stared at her, surprised at her intrusion. Such matters were not for her to say!

"And _what _makes you think I can, dear girl?" My tone was mocking.

"Because, your Majesty, my loyalties no longer lay with the Telmarines. They're a cruel and vicious people."

"_Finally_ someone's figured it out." I could've sworn I saw her eyes narrow.

"My ruler is evil and twisted, and I'm supposed to be marrying a man I don't even love_, _and my father won't do anything about it because he's sucking up to the King," she began hyperventilating, her eyes widening frantically. She _couldn't _have been lying. I could tell, this Telmarine didn't want to go home after all.

"Can she stay with us, Pete?" Lucy latched onto my arm. "Pretty pretty _please???_" I was surprised, but I kind of saw it coming. What would our people say? Of course, I still had to consider the fact that she was a Telmarine, and I still wasn't sure if we could trust her. Then Lucy looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes that she knew I couldn't resist.

I sighed, defeated. "Well… ok." As soon as the words left my mouth, she squealed delightedly and leapt into my arms. I laughed and stroked her hair.

"Oh, Pete! Thank you thank you thank you!!!"

"You're welcome! Now, go get yourselves cleaned up before I change my mind."

"Okay!" she squealed happily. "Come on, Avie!" I didn't miss the mixed look of glee and pain that flashed across the girl's face. Then without hesitation, Lucy grabbed Avaia's hand and practically dragged her away, the two girls laughing uproariously. I sighed; glad that's over.

"I don't know about this Pete." I whirled around at the sound of Edmund's voice. He'd been so quiet I'd forgotten he was there.

"What d'ya mean Ed?"

"Well…" he looked down, shifting uncomfortably, "She's a Telmarine, Pete. Since when did we become a boarding house for poor little Telmarines?"

I exhaled deeply. "Ed, Lu trusts her, and she knows her more than any one of us."

He looked me, a hard edge in his gaze. "So you're going to go by what out little sister says?"

"She's not little any more Ed. She's 14," my tone was defensive and stern. "It wasn't that long ago when we didn't believe in her. Now look where we are." He glared at me stubbornly, eyes blazing in the obstinacy and pride my brother was known for.

"Fine," he muttered, "If anything goes wrong, it's on your head." With that, he stalked away. I shook my head. Some things just never change…

Avaia's P.O.V

"Lucy, slow down!" I cried, clutching my stomach. She stopped in mid run and spun on her heels, laughing.

"Come on Avie! Hurry up!"

"I can't!" I panted, "I have a cramp."

"Oh, boo," she said playfully as she skipped over to me. Her face lit up suddenly. "Can I show you something?"

"Uh, sure." Lucy grabbed my hand and pulled gently. Leaving me no choice, but to follow her. She led me through a few hallways and up a giant stairwell.

"Lu, where are you taking me?" I demanded impatiently.

She smirked. "Hold on, we're almost there."

We walked for a few more minutes. "Okay, close your eyes." I huffed dramatically but did as I was told. A few more steps. "Alright. You can open them now." I did so, and gasped loudly. I was standing in a spacious, square shaped room, with pale violet walls and an enormous bed in the middle. Behind it, was a huge window overlooking the forest. The view was breathtaking.

"Do you like it?" Lucy asked, eyes shining with delight.

"Do I like it? Do I ever!" I exclaimed, "It's beautiful! Sure beats the one I had back home."

"Well that's good, because we wouldn't want you to hate your new room…"

I gasped. "Really?? You mean it? Oh thank you Lucy! You have no idea how wonderful this is!" I ran to her and gave her an enormous bear hug. She laughed.

"You're very welcome! Now you'll find all sorts of dresses and gowns in that cupboard over there, so pick something nice and meet us in the dining hall in about an hour for supper."

"Okay, but um… I really don't know where the dining hall is."

"That's alright. I'll send someone to fetch you." With another smile, she skipped out of the room closing the door behind her.

Sighing happily, I plopped down on the bed. Things were starting to look up after all.


End file.
